русский vs по-русски

russkiy vs po-russki — Russian (adjective/noun) vs in Russian (adverb)

What it really means

Русский is an adjective meaning "Russian" and agrees with a noun: русский язык (Russian language), русская книга (Russian book). It can also be a noun meaning a Russian person, with the appropriate plural and case forms. По-русски is an adverb meaning "in Russian" or "in the Russian way," so it describes how someone speaks, writes, or does something: говорить по-русски (speak Russian).

Use русский when Russian is the thing or quality. Use по-русски when Russian is the language or manner of an action. The adverb is always hyphenated and does not agree with the speaker or object.

Examples in natural speech

Я изучаю русский язык.
I am studying the Russian language.
Это русская книга.
This is a Russian book.
Ты говоришь по-русски?
Do you speak Russian?
Объясните, пожалуйста, по-русски.
Please explain in Russian.
Он хорошо понимает русский.
He understands Russian well.
Как это будет по-русски?
How do you say this in Russian?

Common mistakes

Do not say "говорить русский" when you mean speak Russian; use говорить по-русски or говорить на русском языке. Русский must agree when it modifies a noun, while по-русски is an unchanging adverb written with a hyphen.

Memory tip

Русский describes a Russian thing; по-русски describes doing something in Russian.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between русский and по-русски?

Русский is the adjective or noun "Russian." По-русски is the adverb "in Russian," used with verbs such as говорить, писать, and объяснять.

How do you say I speak Russian in Russian?

Say "Я говорю по-русски." The adverb по-русски describes the language in which you speak.

Why is по-русски hyphenated?

По-русски is an adverb formed with по- and the adjective form русски. It is conventionally written with a hyphen, as are similar language adverbs such as по-английски.

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